More than My Own Life
by RedRoses92
Summary: Hyde seems to have given up his past relations with Jackie when Sam walks into his world, but how will a life-altering accident change his perspective on the feelings that he so un-wittingly left behind? J/H, Post-S8
1. Grenade

**A/N: This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic, so any feedback is greatly appreciated! This will be a Post-S8 fic about J/H. I wanted to write something like this because I haven't seen it in a fic so far, and I just thought that the kinda desperate Jackie was getting a bit old and out of character, ya know? This will also have some Twilight Saga themes in it, as you can tell from the title, but I thought it would go nicely with the story's flow! Happy reading!**

**Warning-Language.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own That 70's Show, or else the ending would have been sooo much better. I also don't own Twilight. :/  
**

* * *

January 15, 1980

It was a cold day in Point Place, Wisconsin. Snowflakes swirled around in the breeze, and frost coated the grass. In the haven of her toasty shared apartment, Jackie Burkhart was currently lost in thought in front of the mahogany vanity situated in a corner of her room. Reflecting back was the image of a young, petite brunette with exquisite features, albeit that the worn, drained, and experienced-too-much-in-too-little-time expression that they carried were seldom seen in women well past their prime, much less in the delicate face of a nineteen year-old girl. Jackie was still suffering in the aftershocks of cutting it off with her ex-boyfriend, as well as foreign roommate, Fez. Jackie shook her head, and sighed to herself. It had all made sense on paper; Fez had all the qualities that she looked for in a perfect boyfriend. Fez would be her new knight in shining armor, sent to rescue her from the Land of Grief and Sorrow. Yes, he would be the ray of sunshine that finally cast light on the dark, dank, hell that she had suffered in for the past six months. After all, Fez was the only person to actually attempt to talk and comfort her during said time span.

_Ever since she had come back from Chicago._

There was only one problem. There was no chemistry between them- none at all. Jackie had felt more sparks with random guys that she had flirted with off the street. During their brief relationship, they had only kissed a few times, and every one felt like a chore, something that needed to be done, but would rather be avoided._ 'And,'_ she thought to herself, _'there is the problem of a certain blue-eyed boy who seems to have made his home in my heart.'_ She sighed. It might sound corny, but was an inevitable truth, and one that is not showing signs of fading anytime soon. At least her breakup with Fez was not so much a heart-breaking decision as a mutual agreement...

* * *

_Jackie paced around her bedroom, anxious and apprehensive. She had been avoiding Fez all day, dreading what she had to tell him. Although she had made it sound out to be such a sweet deal, in the back of her mind she knew that dating Fez would mean no more to her than just an ego-booster, a belated rebound. But she still cringed at the thought of hurting her pervy friend, the friend who had truly proved- earned- the title. He was the one who at least gave a damn about the pile of shit that life had recently buried her in; the only one willing to try and help to dig her out. And even though he wasn't as affective as a girlfriend might be, Jackie still appreciated the effort. _

_Suddenly, the sound of a door being opened made its way into her ears. He was home early, as he only worked Saturdays half-time. She took a deep breath; it was now or never. _

_"Hello, my beautiful Goddess," __Fez__ greeted as he shrugged off and hung up his substantial wool coat, wiping his snow-soaked boots on the doormat. _

_"Fez," guilt and trepidation saturated her tone, "we need to talk."_

_Jackie led him to the living room area, and sat down on the beige sofa, Fez perched next to her. A lump crawled into her throat when she realized that it was something they shopped for together, after Jackie had declared that the current furniture was "simply nauseating", and "rendered the room inhabitable". Looking back, Jackie should have broken it up right after their first kiss. Hell, she shouldn't have started a relationship in the first place. Come on, he was foreign, and foreigners and Burkharts are like oil and water; they don't mix._

_"Well?" Fez asked, the look on his face as innocent and hopeful as a 7 year-old. Since when did he turn into Michael?_

_"Hey, Fez, umm…Iwanttobreakupwithyou!" Jackie stuttered out madly. Wow. There goes cool, calm, rational Jackie, replaced by flustered, guilty as Hell Jackie. It was true, though, she really couldn't stand deliberately hurting the guy who was probably the one who saved her from going out of her mind. It was really something at first, visiting the basement at a regular basis when all that was waiting for her were more taunts and burns at her various insecurities and sparse failures, watching all the ones who still had reason in them leave, and the rest turn on her like wolves circling prey. Now, she just learned to grin and bear it. Ha. Easier said then done. More like grimace and try to keep heads from rolling…or tears from falling. Sometimes she even surprised herself at her ability to bounce right back into the room, once filled warm memories, that now served as a torture chamber. 'It was some kind of psychological problem,' she had decided. 'They taunt me to drive me away, and I come back just to show them up, but coming back just presents them with more opportunities to abuse. It's a lose-lose position.'_

_"What?" Fez asked sadly, wondering if he had heard her right. Did he not satisfy her well in the past few weeks? Did he not try to become what Jackie always wanted- the perfect boyfriend who complements and dotes, who gives presents to prove love?_

_"I'm sorry, Fez, you were a Godsend to me, the last person I would have imagined, and I really enjoyed hanging out with you… it's just…I'm sorry!" Her voice cracked as she choked down the sobs and held in her tears. She had become good at that as of late, having loads of practice during late nights where sleep was elusive._

_"There is no passion in this relationship, right? When we kiss, it does not feel like the earth is shattering around us, instead, it leaves us more empty- just two lonely, lonely souls…" Fez stated this mouthful solemnly, a wistful expression on his face. _

_"Er…right…" She gazed at her ex with a newfound light, wondering where he had gotten _that _from._

_"I have been reading romance novels lately. It is such a thrill!" Fez happily stated in response to Jackie's unspoken question. "And yes," he agreed, "dating the Goddess of my dreams was not all it has cracked up to be." _

_"So… we're good? Friends?" She asked._

_"Friends." He affirmed, lightly placing his hand over hers, and giving it a reassuring squeeze. _

_"Now I must be going. It is time for my daily dose of candy!" He clapped his hands excitedly, then stood up, patted her head, and walked into his room. Jackie exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose. Even though the relationship was hollow to begin with, she could still feel the tearing in the seams of her life as another boyfriend was ripped away, empty space where the adoration of someone who cared more about her than just in the platonic sense used to lie._

_She sighed and walked to her room, collapsing onto her fluffy mattress with the garishly pink comforter, and fought unwanted thoughts. After a while, she gave up the uphill battle, and grudgingly allowed her head to fill with memories from a time where the earth did shatter around a certain pair just at mere contact, where every touch resembled a fork of blue lightning flashing across the sky, where each heated kiss burned through their veins like molten gold, leaving them breathless for more…She closed her eyes, and a single tear, resplendent as a diamond, traced its way down her beautiful, battle-worn face. _'The last one,' _she promised herself. _'The last tear I will shed for him'

* * *

Jackie shook her head to clear up her muddled thoughts. "That's it," she chided herself. "Who cares if it's cold enough outside to freeze alcohol? I'm going to take a walk." And with this cheering thought in mind, she bundled up as best as she could, and braced herself for the blast of frigid air that greeted her as she opened the door.

Jackie didn't know exactly where she was going, only that she needed to be anywhere but home. She did not need the taunting reminder that she had botched her third relationship, and with _Fez_. Any person with the appropriate body parts could keep Fez interested, she thought grimly. Sure, it was her who had wanted it to end in the first place, but it still hurt to know that he had felt the same way about her, the most beautiful girl in Wisconsin. Or so she thought. That firm belief, etched in her brain for as long as she could remember, was somehow marred by the fact that her first two boyfriends had both succeeded in royally screwing her over. And she had truly loved one.

An outsider might think that Jackie was too shallow to feel so deeply, but friends who had gone through her transformation over the past years would know better. It was truly something; the type of love that washed over her entire being, so that every thought, every action, was followed by careful consideration of how it would affect _him_, affect their relationship; the type of love that scorched the imprint of him into her heart, her soul. He was forever a part of her, and impossible to undo, to forget. _'And I wouldn't have needed to forget,'_ she thought, _'except he had to go to Vegas and marry the first girl that looked twice at him. In this case: a blonde stripper.' _Jackie made a choking sound in the back of her throat, disgusted at his actions, and disgusted at herself for caring, for letting herself care. Whatever illusion about a happy ending with Prince Charming that she may have retained after Michael, her first, was fully expelled by him. Jackie looked around her to catch her surroundings, as she had been brooding to herself, and letting her feet do the steering. Surprisingly, she found herself at Grooves, a local music store, run by _him._ Grooves was supposed to be closed today for maintenance. _He _had said so. During their time together, Jackie had learned to listen, and commit to memory, everything that came out of his mouth, and to pay attention to every gesture that he made, searching for some hidden meaning that would help prove that there was some part of him, however little, that actually gave a fuck. Apparently, old habits die hard.

Jackie looked closer, and saw that the lights were on inside and the door wasn't locked, although there was no one at the counter. _'Hmm. Maybe he meant that it was closed tomorrow.' _She loitered around, biting her lip, _'Whatever the situation, I may as well go in. They must have air conditioning inside.' _But still, she stood frozen on the sidewalk in front of the store, unable to move. _'I have no right to be scared of him.' _She thought viciously. _'In any case, he should be the one scared of me.' _Straightening her shoulders, and taking a deep breath, she walked in, fighting an internal battle, and instinctively wincing at the chime that announced her presence. Still, no one appeared at the counter. She stiffly walked to a plush chair covered with floral fabric at the listening center, and sat down, happy to just let the warmth that permeated the room radiate throughout her body. After a few tentative seconds, she finally let herself relax into the chair, and smiled, content. _'See? No need to be afraid. He isn't even here.' _Just then, a voice broke through the steamy silence.

"I'm so sorry, I was in the bathroom when I heard the chime-"

_His_ voice pierced through her brain, and adrenaline automatically rushed through her body. Faster than you could say "Led Zeppelin", Jackie immediately kicked off the chair, and had crouched behind her it, hidden from his view.

"Oh…" She heard him mutter to himself. "It must have been my imagination. No one would be outside in such weather, anyway…" _'SHIT! What the Hell? I have to get up sometime, and when I do, what will my explanation be? Great, today I was actually hoping for a few seconds without having my entire being insulted. I can almost __hear the conversation right now…_

* * *

**Jackie's Thoughts...**

Jackie finally got the nerve to get up from her uncomfortable position, and his eyes immediately caught on to her moving figure.

"Whoa man, what were you doing down there? Checking for monsters? Or maybe you didn't feel trashy enough, so you thought rubbing up against the floor would do the trick." He stared Jackie down, eyes of ice behind his ever-present sunglasses, his face contorted into a gruesome sneer.

"Oh, I was looking for your dignity. Seems like you lost it the moment that _whore _showed up in your life…" Jackie shot back, hands on her hips, and meeting his glare with equal fury…

* * *

_And we would go on and on until he would wish it to be okay to hit girls, and I would wish I was strong enough to take him down. Ahh…Such is the power of young love.' _Jackie shook her head sardonically. They had been treating each other like crap (well, it was mostly one-sided) ever since they broke apart. He would be the first to jump at any opportunity to burn her, and she would hopefully come up with an adequate response in time to defend herself from his scathing remarks.

Jackie busied herself trying to think her way out of this unpleasant situation, all the while sneaking glances at her former lover hunched over at the counter. Suddenly, a flash of black among the white blanket caught her eye. A man was pressed up against the back wall outside. He had on an outfit of completely charcoal-colored, and his entire face, except his eyes, was covered by a ski mask. There was a gun- shaped bulge at the waistband of his pants. He seemed to be scanning the area around, and not the store itself. Looking for potential witnesses. And even though this whole attire could only scream trouble, Jackie couldn't help but stifle a giggle. _He looks ridiculous in those skin tight clothes! Perhaps his closet was void of any other dark clothing. _Even through the apparent hilarity, though, Jackie still knew a problem when she saw it- a problem greater than her current dilemma, and so she prepared notify her ex that there was a likely robber outside. But she only uttered out a "Hey-!" when things snowballed way out of control.

It all happened in slow motion to her. Jackie was quite close to the front of the store, and her position made it so that she could observe the guy's actions, and not be seen by him. Therefore, she could tell when he finally took the time to glance back at Grooves that he had anticipated it to be closed, with no one inside, just like she had. And here was when he made one of those infernal split-second decisions- leave the store, and miss an opportunity, or shoot the kid with no one around, and have free bounty? And Jackie could also tell from the resolve in his eyes that he had chosen the second option. As a new adrenaline spiked up her body, she was faced with her own split second decision. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his curly hair lift up to respond to her one syllable call, while the man in black kicked open the door with his gun held high.

"Ding!"

_I'm closer to the door than the counter. And I sure as Hell won't watch him_ _get gunned down while doing nothing but pray that the robber misses. _Jackie braced herself, and smiled wryly at the seeming impossibility of the circumstances. With the strength that only comes to a person in situations like these, Jackie sprang up, and, using the leverage of her four-inch heeled boots (Thank God! I _knew _leather was a better choice than suede…), rushed the man just as he prepared to fire. His handgun discharged uselessly at the ceiling as they both tumbled on some shelves. _'Okay, now what?'_

"GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE AND HELP ME!" Jackie untangled herself, and screeched at the man still standing shell-shocked behind the cash register. The man, now faced with a new, unlikely, and feisty variable, swerved his deadly weapon around, and she stepped out of the way to dodge a bullet, this time in her direction. (I am _good _at this!) At the sound of her scream, the burglar once again noticed him, now barreling towards the pair of combatants at a frightening pace, and decided that he was a bigger threat than the ninety-five pound girl currently trying to kick his shins out. (And it hurt more than you might believe with those boots). _'Oh no, not this again…' _Jackie moaned in her head, through her fear, as the barrel of the weapon changed targets once more. Jackie hastily backed away.

_God, what is it with those split-second decisions today? _Jackie considered her options. She knew that the logical thing to do was to run, call the police, and leave the fate of the young man in his own hands. However, she also knew what the right thing was to do. And, to her it wasn't really a choice. Things began to play out in slow motion once more. The love of her life raced over –_one foot in front of the other- _as the older man faced the threat the only way he could. The adolescent was now slightly behind her, and she could see his eyes widen and pupils dilate as he comprehended what would inescapably happen next.

And Jackie could hear the blood pounding and rushing through her veins as she primed to add her own twist to this impasse. She let the walls that had held their memories together come down, and the rush of reminiscences bolstered her strength as she bolted in front of her ex, just as his finger- _slowly, slowly- _pressed on the trigger.

"BLAM!"

A whiz of metal shot sluggishly toward her, metal intended for someone else. She could barely feel the bullet imbedding itself into her chest through the massive amounts of adrenaline in her system, but sensed her body being thrown against the one behind her, and she struggled to get steady on her feet. The youth she had protected darted out to confront the attacker, but all Jackie could pay attention to now was her blurred vision. She staggered back, wavering. Blood soaked the front of her of her coat, making it past the many layers of clothing she had adorned- _is that my blood? So…much… _Her breathing became heavy and rough in her ears, and black spots appeared in front of her eyes as she struggled to stay conscious. No longer worried about staying upright, she gave up the battle, and her limp body tumbled to the tiled floor. _I see stars! Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? NO! Can't…die…too…pretty…must…stay…alive!_

With great effort, she managed to lift her head up to catch one last glimpse of him, with his sunglasses askew and curly hair disheveled, beating the intruder with no mercy. His gun had long since dropped to the floor. As she finally slipped away into darkness, a small smile fluttered across her lips, and she let herself say his name once more…

"Steven…"

_I love you…_ _I love you…_

It was a cold day in Point Place, Wisconsin.

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**A/N: Sooo... What did you think? Good? Bad? Was the action scene okay, becuase I'm not good at those... Should I continue with this idea? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! :D **


	2. Hello

**A/N: Sooo, here it is, the second chapter! Keep in mind that I try to update at least once a week. This chapter is kind of short, and mostly a filler, but I thought it would be good to see how caring Hyde could be! And thank you to acc5rod, GastbyParty, TheElegantFaerie, BlackBaccaraRose, and bjq for reviewing, and to acc5rod, GastbyParty, BlackBaccaraRose, bjq, Ghost 1247, ellie4778, and rbd1 for following this story! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own That 70s Show, or else I wouldn't be here!**

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Hyde didn't know what he was doing. Or, more accurately, he was aware of the actions his body was performing, but none of it registered in his head. His vision was hazed with red, and his movements seemed to be on 'Auto'. All he could see were the events, so prodigious in it's meaning, yet occurring in only the last few seconds, replaying over and over in his head…

_Jackie looks at me._

_Jackie jumps in front of me._

_Jackie gets shot instead of me._

_Jackie could die when it should be me._

And that's when his psyche had gone completely haywire. It was when all his thoughts, all his feelings, were replaced by the fervent desire of the fulfilling feeling of bone crunching beneath cartilage under his fist. He needed it to numb him for awhile, replacing his crushing agony and anguish with a familiar feeling- white-hot fury boiling over in his blood, mounting to such a point that he no longer functioned humanly. Rather, he became like a destruction machine, with one goal in mind-_to hurt_- and only one target. He had lunged at the attacker with all the force he could muster, undaunted by the shiny black weapon in his hands. All he could think to do was to destroy this person, this guy who had strolled in and took away the thing he cared about most in this world. Blow after blow he dealt, not caring that the man had long stopped struggling, not caring when he fell to the ground. There was only one person who could reach him when he got like this, and that person was currently busy fighting for her life.

"Steven…" It came to him barely a whisper, and was then cruelly wrenched away from him by the wind. The sound was sweet and feminine, although broken, and it was something that he would always recognize, and would always respond to subconsciously.

That one word snapped him out of his daze, and he looked beneath him. There was the man who had hurt _his_ doll (and, this time, he didn't berate himself mentally for thinking that way). Just this one thought, followed by the reminisce of the tiny brunette collapsing brokenly towards the floor, almost sent him back towards that spiral of wrath. Hyde's fists were clenched, his knuckles white, but he knew that teaching that guy another lesson was the less pressing concern at the moment. Hyde still took the time, however, to observe him for future reference. The male's face was now bloodied and disfigured from Hyde's beating. His facial features were still covered by his ski mask, and red now mixing with the obsidian of his clothing. He didn't seem to be conscious.

Hyde took a deep breath, and slowly turned back to the girl, beautiful beyond measure, lying in a pool of crimson. He trembled. _Oh God, oh God! Please let her be okay…please! _Standing up, he hastily made his way by her side, fighting back the burning sensation that was spreading across his chest. He touched her hand, and immediately flinched as though shocked. _Her skin is cold_. Hyde tried to keep his breathing even- _in, out, in out_- and struggled with the bile surfacing up his throat at the sight of Jackie, her skin sickly pale and her body lifeless, her lips, normally the shade of a rose petal, now blue merging on white, resting in her own blood. Tears prickled behind his eyes, and he was washed away by a wave of panic. _What do I do? What do I do? What if it's too late?_ It felt as if his heart had suddenly leaped to his throat, and fear, much greater than what the criminal could ever induce, spread like wildfire across his entire body. Hyde brought his hands up to his head, and clasped them in his wild hair, his frame shaking with compressed sobs and dread. _Get your shit together, man! She saved you, and now you need to save her… _He concentrated on his breathing again to calm himself, and sifted through his memories for instructions on what to do in scenarios like these. _Right, check her pulse._ Hesitantly he lifted his hand, sticking out two fingers- index and middle- and placing them at the side of her neck, trying not to cringe away from her waxy skin. _Please, God, if you're really out there, don't take her yet…_He pressed down, and closed his eyes, searching for any sign of life from her limp form. And, finally, there it was, a frantic _thump, thump_ that proved that while she may have appeared to give up, her heart was still fighting. Despite himself, Hyde's face broke into a tired smiled. Jackie was always such a fighter, and stubborn to the end. She never knew how to pick her battles, and didn't ever know when to quit. _Even with me._ And, just like that, his unexpected surge of joy disappeared just as quickly as it came as thoughts of all the shit he had thrown at her rushed into memory-all the things he had said and done with no excuse other than to cause Jackie pain, grief, suffering… _If-no, __**when**__- she wakes up, I promise to God I'll make it all up- every single word. _He slid an arm underneath her neck, and another under her legs, and picked her up bridal style, trying to ignore the haunting sounds of the small gasps of air coming in and out of her unresponsive body that was her faint attempt at breathing.

"Don't worry, doll. You're safe now. You're safe…" He murmured, and placed her on the floral patterned chair that she had first sprung up from, like a jack-in-the-box. He remembered hearing a while ago that it was best to keep the upper torso elevated when one was hurt near the lungs, that way it would make it easier for the patient to breathe.

Hyde was now out of ideas. Even though he grew up in a poor neighborhood, he still had no experience treating a wound like this. Deciding that he shouldn't do any more for fear of harming more than helping, he stood up and made his way to the telephone at the check-out counter. Picking up the forest green receiver, he used a shaky finger to turn the dial, messing up quite a few times because of the hurry he was in.

**9-1-1**

"Point Place Police Department. What is your emergency?" A cool female voice drifted out from the phone. Hyde swallowed, still visibly shaken from what had just occurred.

"M- my friend got shot in the chest. Can you get an ambulance down here?" Hyde had now completely abandoned his Zen, and his voice sounded shaky and afraid.

"And in what circumstances did this offense occur?" The voice showed no signs of concern; in fact, it stayed the same- aloof and unrushed. _Is she not worried at all? What a self-righteous bitch. _He glanced back at Jackie, her form slumping down off the back of the chair.

"She got shot because some dumbass dude broke in and started waving around a gun. She needs to get to the hospital, man!" Hyde bit back, his fear now turning into severe annoyance that this officer didn't send help the moment he uttered _got shot._

"And where is the criminal that you speak of now?" The lady replied smoothly, still detached-no sign of emotion or even the slightest bit of concern. '_Someone is DYING here!' _Hyde wanted to yell at the woman. He wanted to curse her and taunt her until she used some feeling in her tone, something to prove that she was not just a machine answering calls. He wanted to make her feel every bit as afraid and in shock as he was right now.

"I beat the shit out of him. Are you going to save a life or not?" The disheveled man stated this in an angry, clipped tone. The nervousness about Jackie was quickly turning into anger at this person, this person who would not help him revive the best thing in his life. He tried his best to keep his temper in check, as he knew that getting in a fight with the police over a 911 call was not going to help the slightest bit.

"Where is your location?" Unconcerned syllables floated one by one into Hyde's ear, making his knuckles tighten around the phone.

"Oh for the love of- I'm at Grooves! You know, the record store chain owned by a black guy?" _And _they_ wonder why people rebel against the law? _Hyde thought, growing increasingly frantic at this conversation that was not getting him any closer to the professional help he needed.

"Units will be dispatched immediately. Please wait at your current location." All of this was stated in the way that one might talk about the weather- casual, not a worry in the world. Hyde hung up before he could say something he would regret.

Sighing, he walked back to where Jackie was splayed out on the piece of furniture. Hyde averted his gaze- he didn't want _that_ image of her to be burned into his mind forever. If he closed his eyes, he could still picture her in better times, wavy raven hair blowing in the wind, olive skin glowing in the sunlight, full lips twisted in laughter, clothes conservative enough to remain casual, revealing enough to give good reason for any guy who looked to fantasize… Hyde jerked his head back up. _Now is not the time to be reveling in 'the good old days'! Just because this is a dire situation doesn't mean you have the right to turn into Forman! _Now that the initial distress and denial was gone, he had time to fully discern- and appreciate- what Jackie had done. _She took a bullet for me- literally. What does that mean?_ Nonetheless, the grueling experience still hadn't changed the rebel's views on expressing all your emotions out to the world like some kind of pansy, so he pushed the thought- and the connotations it possessed- to the back of his mind to deal with in the future. The young man carefully approached the adolescent, and sat on the arm of the plush fixture. He absentmindedly took Jackie's hand in his, and it disturbed him that this simple gesture still set his stomach tingling, especially in the state that she was currently in. Hyde laced his calloused fingers through her dainty ones, and wished that he could do more for her. There was nothing he _could_ do now but wait, he knew, but he still thought it would be best to check on her injury. He unbuttoned her jacket, and pushed up the many layers of clothing she adorned, all with a singing hole torn through them. Hyde's breath seemed to stop as he first caught sight of her wound. Now, Hyde was not one to be daunted by injuries or blood. In fact, he had prided himself of that aspect many times, especially when all the other guys- namely, Forman- ran off screaming like a little girl at the first signs of gore. However, Jackie's wound was really something else. It was mostly towards the right of her upper torso, and Hyde was relieved, as even he knew that the heart was at the left of the chest. It was not a clean cut hole, as the showed it in movies, but more of a dilapidated ditch, as if a small portion of her upper body had caved in. The bleeding was not as heavy as it had been; rather, the puncture was now oozing out thick scarlet liquid as opposed to the thin water-like fluid that was flowing out profusely earlier. Dried blood caked the sides of the abrasion, making it all the more ghastly. And, with every labored breath the former cheerleader took, the sides of the injury seemed to suck at the air, making small squelching noises, and ejecting more gooey blood. The scruffy man shuddered, and promptly shed his argyle sweater, pressing it down on the bullet wound in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. He pushed down on her chest, wondering if he was doing the right things, and whispered soothing words to the unconscious girl beside him. In fact, he was so preoccupied that he never noticed the pinnacle of the mess, the masked attacker, gradually waking up across the room.

The man woke up to a head-splitting migraine and blurry, doubled vision. He willed his arms, his legs, to move, but nothing seemed to be working. The kid had sure done a number on him, and it was a while before the room had slowed its spinning. He lifted his head slightly, not wanting to give up the element of surprise, and saw the male attending to the female he had remembered shooting. _Sad_, he thought to himself, _I had never meant to hurt such a pretty young thing. _He had never planned on hurting _anyone_, in fact, but in the spur of the moment, he took the only options that left him unscathed. _Unscathed my ass,_ he remarked grimly in his head, as the room doubled, tripled, and came in and out of focus before his eyes. Then, he noticed the gun still resting mere feet away. He knew that the male kid must have been a amateur, for even though he did hit hard, no one would ever make the mistake of leaving the enemy unattended in the reach of a weapon, cognizant or not. Trying to make the least amount of noise as possible, he slowly worked his arm, inch by inch, over to the handle that would become his salvation. _Third time's the charm,_ was what was flashing through his mind as he aimed at the back of the unkempt looking youngster that had seemingly evaded his fate so many times. Praying to God that his shot was still true despite his headache and joke of a vision, he hovered his finger over the trigger.

"BLAM!"

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**A/N: Yep, a cliffie just to keep you guys on your toes! How was it? Does Hyde need to be more emotional or whatnot? I'm not good at writing Hyde's character. Tell me, I accept any kind of feedback- good or bad! REVIEW REVIEW! Pretty please with a cherry on top?**


	3. Pearl

**A/N: Hi, so yeah, long time no update, but life has been really busy lately, and it was hard to get into my stride. If you are wondering about the chapter titles, they are songs that I thought would fit the writing. Grenade- Bruno Mars, Hello- Evanescence, and Pearl- Katy Perry. And a HUGE thanks to all of you who reviewed and followed and favorited- it makes me sooo giddy to see any of those things happening. **

**Disclaimer- I don't own That 70's Show, or else Jackie and Hyde would be making out right now.**

* * *

"WHAT!" Donna yelled, her hair, recently re-dyed auburn, whipping back and forth as the tall woman began pacing, digesting the information just fed to her over the phone. On the other end, Hyde wrenched the receiver away from his face to save his eardrums from a horrifying demise as Donna's deafening scream made its way across the line.

"What do you mean, Jackie got shot? How could she get shot? We're in Point Place, not in the slums of New York!" Donna sputtered incredulously. This was not something that happened very often- or at all, for that matter- in their home town.

"Waaaaaiiiittttt," her voice now took on a suspicious tone as her eyes narrowed. This was _Hyde _she was talking to… "This isn't some kind of burn, is it? Because Jackie being mortally wounded might strike _you_ as amusing, but I-" Hyde smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. Why did his friends insist on being idiotic at all the wrong times?

"Look, man, I'm serious, alright? Just call up Fez and Formans, and tell them to meet me at the hospital. I'll explain when you guys get here." Hyde said, his voice sounding draggled and tired. _'If only…' _he thought. He took a deep breath. He was still processing the news as well.

"Oka- alright." Donna assented, her voice now going from dubious to frightened. "We'll be there in twenty."

Hyde hung up the florescent yellow receiver, sighed, and slowly walked back to the waiting room. He sat down, and let his head fall onto the back of his uncomfortable plastic chair as the events of the past two hours caught up with him.

* * *

_"BLAM!"_

_Hyde jumped up from his position beside Jackie, startled from the deafening noise, and wildly turned around, searching for its source._

_"Hello, young man." The voice was deep and mature, and came from the front of the establishment. _

_He spotted a police officer standing under the doorway, broken glass littering the ground beneath his feet. The man looked to be about in his late forties, and slightly on the portly side. He was of color, and his head seemingly had the misfortune of being unable to carry hair (though his upper lip sure didn't). And, though he showed signs of being a hard-ass (like Red), the kind twinkle was unmistakable in his brown eyes. He seemed familiar to Hyde, but he couldn't place him in his mind._

_"I thought I would take care of him for you," the cop pointed at a spot some feet to his left, and Hyde's mouth hung open as he took in the sight of the delinquent collapsed on the floor, soaking in his own blood, gun in hand. _

What the hell? Wasn't he…

_"Is he-" the curly-haired man started to question, but the officer shook his head._

_"Nah. I got him in the shoulder." Just as he said this, more men in blue started entering through the shattered door and flooded the crime scene, urgently hastening toward the areas that needed them the most. _

_"Now- what are you- wait!" Hyde feebly protested as he watched the actions of the fuzz. _

_Two men advanced to the assaulter, and he made no objection as they roughly hauled him up to his feet, and handcuffed his wrists behind his back. The guy in the grubby black outfit was forcefully led out of the store, and into an ambulance that had a moment ago arrived. The rest of the force rushed over to Jackie, and Hyde leapt out of their way as they slung her onto a gurney, and covered her body with a thin sheet. Almost as if…Hyde had suddenly regained his voice, and he shouted with all his might._

_"Wait! What's wrong with her? Is she going to be okay?" However, his questions were lost in the pandemonium, and he could only observe as they swiftly swept her away onto another ambulance, and it also took off, sirens flashing into the distance. _

Jackie…

_Hyde stumbled around, desperately searching for someone- anyone- to tell him what the hell was going on. The cops were now taking photographs and investigating the damage while some sectioned off Grooves with yellow crime scene tape. He spotted the guy that had shot the attacker down, and who had first approached him, singling out his shiny brown head._

_"Hey, man, what's happening? Where are they taking her, man?" his voice was panicky and out of breath as he interrupted the official who was currently deep in conversation with a fellow comrade. He turned toward the scruffy individual, and even though he wasn't a softie, he could see his distress, and decided that the current matter he had at hand could wait._

_"Well…let's see…you're talking about the girl with the bullet wound, right?" Hyde nodded eagerly. The guy reached towards another officer to check some paperwork, his fingers deftly flipping through the files. He then faced Hyde once more._

_"I'm not sure what her condition is, but they are taking her to the closest hospital, which I believe is Kind Souls Medical Center a few miles away." He tried to answer with the full extent of his knowledge, taking in with sympathy the sight of the young man, walking in a tight circle in front of him, clearly heartbroken. He absently wondered what his relationship with the injured girl was. Fiancée? Boyfriend? He didn't see a wedding band on him, but they must have certainly been more than friends, judging from the distraught state he was currently in. Deciding that dating for the two youngsters would be the safest bet, he placed a hand on Hyde's shoulder comfortingly, giving it a sympathetic squeeze._

_"Don't worry; I'm sure your girlfriend will be fine." _

_Hyde wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. Girlfriend? The old rush of contradiction he had pounded into his brain through the past few months rushed quickly through his emergency- induced concern. After all, it was something he had greatly relied on nowadays, clutching to it like a drowning man to a life preserver. Deny, deny, insult- it was his mantra now that he constantly chanted in his head, put on pause only by this unexpected and awful situation. _

_"She's not my girlfriend, man!" Hyde suddenly spat. "You've only met her at her best state- out cold. If you saw her minus the wound, you would see what I see- an egotistical bitch." _

_The trooper took this seemingly without reaction, but an old nerve flared up. Although Point Place wasn't exactly a criminal hotbed, he had gone through his fair share of scarring experiences, and he knew firsthand how terrifying it was to stare into the barrel of a gun knowing what was coming next. He wasn't sure what had happened at the scene of the crime, but he knew that the girl must have been a brave one, judging from the signs of the struggle she had put up. He also wondered what had come between that young lady and the man standing before him. He was, after all, a policeman, and that did not come without training. If they weren't courting now, then they must have previously, for every detail pointed to something stronger and more potent in their relationship than mere friendship._

_"…who took a bullet with dignity," the official finally replied, his tone now sharp. "I'm not sure if you know this, but shots to the chest usually only have a small chance of survival and complete recovery, so you better start trying to change your attitude."_

_This finally broke the rebellious man's subconscious denial. The accident had happened so fast that he hadn't had time to consider what it would be like if she actually did die, only be thankful that she hadn't yet. Somehow, throughout the whole mess, he had actually believed that she wasn't really in any danger of passing away. The loudmouth cheerleader was always a constant in his life, ever since he was sixteen, so he had foolishly thought that it wouldn't ever change. The bitchy brunette would be a part of his world for as long as he lived, and a bullet couldn't come between that. Even when he first saw Jackie broken and bleeding in a heap on the floor, he had thought that she would ultimately be fine, and it wasn't a huge surprise when he had felt that pulse racing along her veins. Sure, he had seen the blood and knew the statistics, but that was how it always goes. Calamity, death, sickness… It was constantly something that happened to other people, people you didn't know. It made it easier for you to say, "Poor folks…", or "They're in a better place now," without feeling anything except pity, always believing in the back of your mind that it would never happen to you. The cold, hard truth abruptly crashed over Hyde, and he felt weak in the knees as he finally realized that Jackie's life really was in grave danger, and the odds weren't in her favor. He blushed all the way to the roots of his hair, thoroughly embarrassed that he was insulting Jackie when she was on her deathbed, and from saving him, no less. _

_"I got to go to the hospital, man." Hyde grunted as he prepared to go to his El Camino. The police officer smiled, and congratulated himself for opening this young man's eyes, if only a little bit. He could tell that this kid and the girl had something special, because he could see something in his eyes that he had never seen before whenever the scruffy man talked about her, whether it is complementing or offensive. It was something straight out a story, where soul mates and eternal love dominated the scene, and normally weren't the type of thoughts that filled his head, but in this case, it was almost required. Nevertheless, he reached out to stop him from walking away. _

_"You can go to Kind Souls, but we need to brief you first." He said, a little reluctantly, remembering when he was younger and going through the many shades of love- though nothing as dramatic as this. Seeing as Hyde was about to protest, the officer proceeded to wane him down. _

_"There isn't anything you can do now, but she is in professional medical care. We just need to ask you a few questions; it'll only take a few minutes." Hyde nodded in a detached sort of way, still mulling over the fact that Jackie could actually be gone forever. _

_"Oh, and I'm Officer Kennedy." He added as an afterthought, holding his hand out for him to shake. Hyde suddenly remembered where he had seen Officer Kennedy before. He was Kelso's senior officer when he was a cadet-in-training back when he wanted to be a cop. Hyde thought about pointing that out to him, but decided that it would be a waste of time, though he was sure that he still remembered Kelso- everyone did. After a beat, Hyde reached out and grasped it. _

_"Name's Hyde." _

_Kennedy was true to his word, the briefing only took about ten minutes. They asked Hyde general questions about the incident, and he could feel himself turning steadily redder and redder as he disclosed that Jackie had actually jumped in front of him to change his fate, and, not only that, but had tackled the thief right before. He could almost feel Kennedy's gaze boring holes into the back of his head as the verbal abuse he had laid upon Jackie was thrown into even worse light. He tried to answer all of their questions to the best of his ability as they got more and more detailed, but his head was still with a certain petite brunette. After it was all over, Hyde practically sprinted to the Camino. Officer Kennedy had offered to give him a ride in the cruiser, but God knows that police cars only serve to slow down traffic- he should know, he once stole it. _

_Hyde had rushed into the hospital shouting incomprehensible words, and the receptionist had to calm him down and have him speak three times before finally deducing the meaning of his speech. He was told that Jackie had been rushed into surgery the moment she arrived. Hyde could only sit outside of the section for Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery, staring off into space, trying not to let thoughts of how his life would be without a certain perky midget seep into his thoughts. He had attempted to get a hold of a doctor, as the receptionist didn't know the details of Jackie's condition, but apparently all the qualified practitioners who had that information were performing her operation. It was a while before the idea of calling his friends to inform them of this latest development crossed his mind, and he felt guilty for not letting them know sooner._

_He had also thought about contacting W.B., but Hyde figured that the police probably had already told them about the attempted robbery, and he didn't need to hear old news twice…_

* * *

Jackie Burkhart didn't do anything halfway. For her, it was always all or nothing; go big or go home. When she turned six, she threw a fit that she had gotten a stuffed pony instead of a real one, and when her parents finally did buy her a horse, she had claimed she wanted a car. When she became a part of the cheerleading squad, she would bitch and bitch until everyone claimed she was The Head, and voted her so as well. When Steven had told her that she was simply too square, she blew past all the other options, and went straight to something highly illegal- but sure to impress.

With Michael, she had their wedding and honeymoon all planned out by the end of their first date- before they even kissed. Because it was all like that for her: dating meant a life-long commitment, because when she fell, she didn't just trip. Oh, she fell hard.

Michael, to her, was like jumping off the water tower- if you couldn't make yourself fly, you could survive with minor injuries- and God knows Michael did from all those times. But Steven (oohh Steven…) was launching herself off the Grand Canyon. If you could pump your arms and work to grow wings, then the view was incredible from above. However, if the wind was against you and those wings were just too weak, then you were gone. Dead, splat in the Hudson River, the wind whooshing out of your lungs. Therefore, it didn't really seem like much to ask for her when she pushed against his "I don't know...", and when she gave him that goddamned ultimatum, because she really thought that she should be getting something back other than full-blown Zen for her whole heart- each and every piece. Because when she loved, she also put her entire being into it, and if he could only open his eyes, he would see everything that she had done for him, or at least tried to do.

She had forced herself to fit another mold than the one she had been living in for so long- the shallow, materialistic, self- centered cheerleader. She convinced him to meet his dad, knowing all too well that he was scared of meeting someone that could change his whole perspective of who he was, his opinion of himself, only to run the risk of having him leave again. She saw who he could be, far greater than he himself could see, because her vision of that formal, well-off setting really wasn't far from the mark of what he could achieve. She had gone a different route than the one she had been used too, a relationship branching off from a summer fling instead of a legitimate date.

She had done more for him than for any other guy, agreeing not to talk about their future, even if it meant giving up the safety net that surrounded that canyon. Because, looking down and seeing the different mineral layers in those burnt sienna rocks, observing that cyan snake winding its way across the landscape, was too beautiful to give up. She passed up the opportunity to just land when it was safe, despite those moments of near miss where she would dip until her nose skimmed the blue-green water, thinking 'This is it...', and, miraculously, the airstream would change direction, and she would feel her body being lifted again into the sky, her eyes raking in the sight below her.

She was being stupid, she knew, because all things good had to end, and it would only be a matter of time before her wings would give away, and her small form would go hurtling down, crashing into the shallow waters below. And she didn't know if any of her would live on past that point, so she tried to leave, to break out mid- flight, to avoid the rejection that was most certainly coming. However, she came back. She came back to the thing she feared most, and gravity was finally taking over.

She'd thought what when "Have a good trip." issued out from his lips, it was already the end. Then, when that faux blonde stripper walked through the door with her sham of a wedding certificate, she'd felt herself plummeting harder, faster. However, what really turned her lean, fit body into something to scrape off of the bottom of a river was every burn, every taunt, and every kiss shared with Sam that was coupled by a pointed look at her. She had felt the glue that held her together start wearing away; start loosening as she finally hit the surface of the water. She could feel the pain radiate throughout her body, and she couldn't breathe as it closed around her lungs. Pieces of herself started flaking off as she smashed into the rock foundation with superhuman force. She could feel that part of her that cared and trusted without a thought, her naïveté at love, slowly dying as the river washed away her remains. In fact, she had worn all black one day, just to mourn. For when she grieved, she also did to the fullest extent, and no one should expect otherwise.

She was Jackie Burkhart, and that was the true reason why she had taken that bullet. Tremendous love piercing through tremendous pain. The whole nine yards.

* * *

Jackie could dimly feel herself being thrust deep into that dark blanket, the contents of her mind being scattered out into the unknown. Her thoughts were no longer clear and defined, but rather muddled and faded around the edges as she explored this new dimension. Soon, she was just a floating mist in a place of absolute midnight, where she couldn't even make out outlines or shapes, only obsidian all around. Her mind was dazed and confused, and she could only let herself bob around this place of eternal darkness. She could feel the need to sleep and wicked exhaustion creep to her head, and she thought it wouldn't be so bad to take a little nap, to fade into this coating of blackness. However, she could still make out voices, shouting, stating, and, somehow, she knew that giving in would not be good. Giving in would mean that she had destroyed the last path to getting out and finding light. So, she fought to keep that feeling at bay, and let herself be content on drifting through the endless night.

* * *

"Hey!"

Hyde slowly lifted his head to the sight of Donna, her face flushed with worry and anticipation, red hair hanging in strands across her face. Behind her stood Mr. and Mrs. Forman, with Red holding the petite Kitty close as she silently dabbed at her eyes. Fez was standing next to them, his normally jittery demeanor replaced by a stoic calmness as he quietly stared at Hyde. Bob was right beside Donna, with his arm around her shoulders, though he seemed to be the one that needed the support as he shivered and struggled to take even breaths.

"What happened to Jackie?" Donna continued worriedly, twisting her fingers into her hair as she looked expectantly at him for an answer. Hyde didn't know where to start. It was, after all, a long story, but he did need something to occupy his mind. Sighing, he sat up straighter, and launched into the tale of this tragedy.

* * *

"Wow…" It about summed up what everyone was feeling, but Fez had said it first. Finally, Kitty broke the silence, her voice now thick with tears and worry.

"I should go and see if they have any information, seeing as I am a nurse and all…" But still, no one wanted to leave the cozy warmness of this group, even though it was plain to see that two members were missing. The air was clogged with apprehension and fret, and the six individuals, three kids and three adults, seemed to gain strength by taking in the care and friendship of the others during the taxing time.

"Hello?" The gruff voice of a male jerked them all back to reality, and six faces turned towards the newcomer. He was in his thirties, with light brown hair, dark blue eyes, and a seemingly permanent scowl etched upon his face.

"Are you the family members of Jacqueline Burkhart?"

"Yes," Red replied, surprising them with a change from his normally tough façade. No one bothered to contradict him, and to everyone who personally knew and was lucky to be apart of this close-knit friendship would know that it was true in every sense. The Formans and the Pinciottis were more of Jackie's family than her own would ever be.

The doctor eyed them all suspiciously, but a death glare from Red that had made those commies run for their lives dissuaded him from objecting.

"I'm Doctor Johnson, and I will be the chief representative for the remainder of Jacqueline's stay here." He held out his hand, but nobody took it. A cocked eyebrow from Red, as well as withering looks from everyone else told him to cut the crap.

"Well," he sighed, "I have good news and bad news." Hyde wondered if that was why he was always frowning. He saved lives, but he also had lives end under his watch.

"When she was first admitted, she was suffering from hypovolemic shock, so we had to start her up on fluids. We also gave her an ET tube to help the breathing. The bullet traveled through the upper lobe of the left lung, which was removed during surgery, as well as much of the bullet, but there are still going to be some metal in her chest, which her tissue will grow around. She was suffering from pneumothorax, a sucking chest wound, as a result of the penetrating trauma, so we put her on a thoracostomy tube, or a chest tube.

"The good news is that she is still alive, and had most of her injuries treated."

There was an audible sigh at this, but Hyde was still not fooled. He may not have understood the medical terms that the quack was trying to fool them with, but he did know that there was still something else; he had said so himself.

"What's the bad news, man?" he asked Johnson, locking his shaded eyes with the doctor's unprotected ones. Johnson tried to break the grimace off his face, and attempted to smile reassuringly, which looked sadly grotesque.

"The bad news is that during the end of her procedure, she had …uh… slipped away a little bit, and now she is in a coma. And, given her condition, we're not sure if she'll wake up."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, like super long chapter, sorry! Anyway, I know there are a lot of Jackie/Coma fics out there, (Like ****_a lot a lot_**** ), but Hyde really does need time to think things over. I ain't a doctor, so correct me if any of my medical things are off. Like I said, this is my first time writing in this fandom, so tell me if anyone is ooc. Like it? Hate it? Let me know! I actually stayed up all night to write and post this (It's five- thirty am now, LOL), and I know I'm guilt tripping you, but still…REVIEW! It would help take my mind off my sleepiness… zzzzzz **


	4. My Immortal

**A/N: Hello, yes, I know I'm a bit late on this one (that's towards you, Maya!) since I usually post on Friday nights, but I hope you will enjoy it. It is also fairly long, so go get comfortable! The name of this chapter is My Immortal by Evanescence, and I highly suggest you go listen to it, it describes Jackie's feelings toward the gang after Chicago perfectly. On a random side note, I get really nostalgic every time I listen to 'Here's to Never Growing Up' by Avril Lavinge, because I think it basically sums up the basement gang to a T, and it is like a tribute to T7S. Is it just me? **

**Disclaimer- Don't own nothing. **

* * *

When Fez first heard about Jackie, his first instinct was too completely break down. To lament. To fall to the floor, chest heaving with sobs, tears pooling along his cheeks, face contorted in anguish. To wail over someone he considered to be one of the most important people in his life.

There was a reason why he called her his 'Goddess', and it wasn't just because of her looks. Okay, it might have played a big part, and, sure, Jackie was one of the most attractive females in Point Place, but you didn't see him following Pam Macy around, worshipping the very floor she walked on. No, Jackie always had a special light in her eyes, a liveliness that seemed to emanate off her very skin, and spreading warmth into everyone that came near. It was always there, even when she was young, innocent, and so very bitchy. It was why Fez had followed her around like a lovesick puppy when she first started visiting the basement, doting on her complete perfection; he couldn't get enough of it. Fez had never felt such bright, stunning, vivacity from anyone, and it was a sharp contrast from the dark, cold country that he was saddened to call his home place. In fact, it was seldom seen even in the much cheerier place of America, one he was happy now make his stay in. One look at her, and Fez could tell that she was one in a million- something truly special.

However, his jaw seemed to have gone slack. His voice could no longer express all the feelings that were flashing through his mind, his thoughts racing a mile a minute- shock, grief, concern, and, finally, anger. Yes, Jackie was completely and utterly extraordinary, even with her flaws- they made her who she was.

_Is, dammit, is!_

His fury grew even further. All of them, every single person in the group, didn't see Jackie the way he saw her. _Or,_ he thought sadly, glancing at the still shell-shocked and mute Hyde, _if they did, they tried to hide from it. _They didn't feel the vibrancy that practically radiated off of her in waves, even when she was heartbroken over Kelso, and then Hyde, or when her spirit and world was crushed when she learned about her dad landing in prison, and her mom's abandonment. They couldn't detect the simple, alluring beauty in every single thing she did, whether it was reading a magazine, or shopping for clothes. The members chose to see what they wanted to believe- a materialistic, spoiled cheerleader, and didn't seek to search deeper, even when it was obvious that she had changed her ways, using it as an excuse to condone their actions. All that Fez saw was an angel. She was the catch of a lifetime, and Fez was the only one to fully acknowledge that, and, although he didn't express it, was saddened by the fact that it was blatantly obvious that they weren't meant to be. Because, in reality, Fez _was _her perfect man in a way. He was the only one who had the guts to face the truth, and had the ability treat her with the respect and adoration she deserved. His gaze hardened, and his hands involunatarily clenched into fists. Kelso, Hyde, they all treated her like she was worth nothing, when, in reality, _they_ were the ones that should be nothing. Jackie was a person that they should have thanked God for, for just being in their lives, and yet the two had the very blessed chance to be on the receiving end of her love.

_And they blew it, those sonuvabtiches! _

They had both made his Goddess feel lower than dirt, had made her cry until she was drained of tears, and had tore apart her fragile, carelessly loving heart. Well, one more than another.

Hyde suddenly stood up, breaking the uneasy, shaken silence that the doctor had left the group in. He couldn't take it anymore, all the eyes that unknowingly wandered onto him, and then quickly jerked away. He knew what they were all thinking- Jackie saved his ass, even when he was acting like a colossal dick. Jackie was in the hospital, while he was fine and dandy. Jackie… he couldn't stay there any longer, or else his mind might start to think about what the doctor's words meant, the ramifications, what was happening… Hyde needed to get away, before all those unwanted feelings caught up with him, before he could accept this situation.

"I got to go…" The stoner mumbled a rushed excuse, and bolted towards the direction of the exit. No one made an attempt to stop him.

This finally threw Fez over the edge, and he snapped.

_What the Hell is wrong with the people I have made my friends?_

"That son of a bitch! If he is going to go around using people as human body shields, he should at least stick around to see the damage!" Fez snarled, his thoughts instantly jumping to what Jackie would think if she was here to witness this. She would have been disappointed, he realized, even if all the others had already come to accept that Hyde would always pull some shit like this in times of crisis. She would have always expected more.

_We don't deserve her. None of us. _

"Yeah!" Donna enthusiastically agreed. "What a dillhole! He at least owes Jackie that much." Fez turned toward her.

_She can't actually be saying this, can she? Doesn't she realize that they both betrayed her, again and again? That they almost killed her light? _

"Oh shut up, you bitch! You abandoned her the whole of last year, so you no longer have a right to defend her!" Fez was now seething. Even though he and Jackie were no longer dating, he still would always deeply care for her; they both had grown inexorably closer over the past year, when she moved in with Fez. And, although they both did have their ups and downs, they would always hug and make up in the end, because Fez knew he couldn't desert her, and he probably wouldn't have the heart to, even if he tried. Fez was the only person that Jackie had left, and he wasn't about to let that change soon, even if she was in a coma.

"What are you talking about?" Donna yelled back. "I have been nothing but nice to Jackie, and she should thank me, because, with her attitude, she probably can't make friends that easily."

_Is that what she really thinks? _

"Oh, really? Is that what you were thinking when you befriended that stripper whore?" he questioned heatedly, his accent thickening to an almost unrecognizable point; such was the extent of his frustration and ferocity. Fez was not one to normally get violent; he was the one to cheer at the sidelines whenever Hyde would punch Kelso in the eye, or when Jackie had relieved her irritations by kicking someone in the shin. Rarely was he ever on the receiving end of his friends' anger, and was never one to dish it out. That changed today. If Donna was a guy, Fez would deck her. Hard. However, guys can't hit girls, and it was a policy that was to be respected, even if Donna was stronger than most guys, and could probably take him down without blinking an eye.

"Sam has nothing to do with this!" Donna bit back, looking around her for assistance. Dr. Johnson was glancing between the two nervously, having no idea what they were arguing about, his frown more prominent than usual. Mrs. Forman gave an impish smile at Donna, but didn't speak up, and Red was just staring off into space, a glazed look in his eyes.

"Dad?" She hesitantly asked, looking at Bob, who was still sniffling, and wiping his tears with the end of his sleeve.

"Uh, don't talk to my daughter like that…" He said in a half-hearted tone, looking briefly at Fez. He took this as a signal to continue his rant, glaring at the tall redhead.

"It wasn't enough that her boyfriend stabbed her in the back, you had to turn the knife! What if Eric came home with a wife, hun? How would you feel if Jackie became her best friend?" Donna thought about it, and felt dread building in her abdomen.

_What if Eric did marry a prostitute in Africa? And after ditching_ me _at the altar… _

Just thinking about it made her stomach muscles clench in revulsion, and her heart gave a few awkward pangs.

_And if Jackie befriended her?_

Donna's first thought at this statement was that, no, Jackie would never do that. Although she constantly complained about her annoying tendencies, she knew that the midget had a good heart. After all, she was constantly telling her that she could do better. If Eric did, in fact, come home with another woman, Jackie would spend all day listening to her complain and sob, and then would give a million reasons why the new lady was complete trash, and worse than her in every way, even if she was actually perfect. Jackie, on behalf of her best friend, would burn the new addition at every opportunity, and would say that it was really Eric's loss, and that he traded way down.

_She would hate her even more than me. That's what friends are for._

Donna wondered if that was what came into Jackie's mind about Donna when she envisioned that scenario on herself. She thought about how surprised- how wounded Jackie must have been when she did the exact opposite. Donna realized that all of Fez's accusations had been spot on, perfect. She really did become quite the bitch toward her, when all Jackie ever did was offer comfort, and always sided with her, whenever Eric did do something insanely stupid or hurtful.

"Oh my God, I didn't realize…" she whispered, almost to herself. She didn't understand how much she must have been hurting the girl she considered her sister, despite all of their differences. She didn't know what the consequences of her actions were. In fact, Donna really hadn't been thinking what she did through ever since Eric left for Africa. It was like her mind had been at a complete blank ever since the love of her life left for another continent, and then broke up with her in a letter.

_Is that what Jackie felt like?_

No, she must have felt a thousand times worse, because Eric's antics in their relationship was child's play compared to what Hyde put Jackie through, and she knew it. Donna just chose not to acknowledge that fact.

"I'm really sorry…" Donna said quietly, her eyes becoming watery. Fez's anger drained away at the sight of his dear buddy on the verge of tears, and took pity on her, as he really didn't think she hurt Jackie on purpose. It was something more so subconscious, and, although she should have recognized what she did as borderline traitorous, Donna _did_ have her own problems to deal with at the time as well.

_But Hyde didn't._

"Well, you should tell her that yourself."

Dr. Johnson found this to be wise time to cut into the ongoing battle of words before another one of these people brought up the past, and finished what he had to tell them.

"We still have the matter of payment to be dealt with. Mrs. Burkhart doesn't have insurance coverage, so her expenses will be full." He stopped to brush a sandy lock of hair away from his face.

They all shifted uncomfortably on their feet at that mention, and the adults looked among themselves. After a moment, Kitty piped up in a slightly trembled voice.

"I'm sure that us and Bob can split the bill, right?" She looked at her husband, whose face was still impassive, and then at her neighbor, who gave a slight nod of consent. Red normally would have been grumbling and protesting by now, so Kitty took his silence as agreement. However, before the adults could sign on the deal, their discussion took a new turn.

"I assure you that it won't be of any need." A low, baritone voice entered the conversation, and all seven individuals spun around to see who had joined in their bereavement.

* * *

The atmosphere pressed against her, suffocating her non-existing lungs. It was cavernous; a gaping maw of a hole that attracted her lower, further. It tugged on the wisp that Jackie thought she was, pulling her into its abysmal depths. It was hard, very difficult to resist this draw. She didn't know how much longer she could hold onto her comatose state before she quit fighting the almost magnetic appeal, and let herself sink into the abyssal unknown.

* * *

They stared at him, jaws gaping.

"W.B.!" Donna exclaimed, wondering why he had come.

_He must be looking for Hyde,_ she decided. After all, he and Jackie didn't exactly get off on the right foot. As far as she knew, they still weren't really that close, especially since her and Hyde weren't dating anymore.

"And, who are you, may I ask?" Dr. Johnson eyed the newcomer suspiciously. It was one thing to turn a blind eye to a collection of perceptibly intimate friends, but, this guy, he didn't even have the correct skin tone!

"I'm William Barnett," W.B. offered graciously, reaching out for a handshake. "And I will be the one to pay for Jackie's hospital charges."

"WHAT!" Donna, Fez, the Formans, and Bob yelled simultaneously, their eyes going wide, throwing their hands up in the air.

"Yes," He continued, as if there wasn't an interruption, "it would only seem fair, as she did fall wounded in the place of my son."

Again, the individuals glanced shiftily among each other. Would it be right? To let an almost practical stranger give the money for their companion's recovery?

Kitty looked at Red, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

_After all of the crap that boy has put the Loud One through, they should at least compensate for her bills. _

Bob spoke up.

"If you could do that, it would be great." he said, his voice sounding congested from the weeping. From the pocket of his flamboyantly bright jacket, he pulled out a white handkerchief, and blew his nose loudly. Almost everyone visibly winced.

"Alright," the physician said, sighing. They were one of the most distinctive, abnormal waiting groups for a patient that he had ever met. Although it was apparent that each and every one of them cared for the injured girl, at least on some level, they still couldn't stop bickering among each other, even in this desperate time. Rather, they used the bantering as a distraction.

_What a peculiar type of therapy…_

"You may visit Mrs. Burkhart, but only two at a time. We don't want to startle her body when she is at such a fragile state." He looked around, waiting for anyone to volunteer.

Fez was glad that the sonuvabitch's biological father had finally stood up, and earned back some redemption for his son. At least Jackie won't be on the brink of death _and _in debt, God knows her job sweeping hair at the salon doesn't pay much. Oh, he was still fuming, alright, but he decided that righting wrongs could wait until after he had a chance to see Jackie.

Mr. and Mrs. Forman went first. Red's face could have been carved out of stone, but Fez could see the pain lingering in his eyes. Even though the tough man had always scared the shit out of Fez, he knew that his heart was in the right place. It was why he had covered for him when immigration came, even if it meant lying about Laurie. He could tell that Red always favored Jackie, ever since Career Day, when she proved that she could hold a flashlight right, therefore establishing that not all the kids who hung out in the basement were complete dumbasses. Of course, it didn't hurt that her parents were always flaky and neglecting, and that she could actually find the carburetor or the U-joint. As for Kitty, well, Kitty thought of all the teenagers who spent time in her basement as her own. They were all her babies, and she took great care in doing her best to coddle all of them, and beamed with a mother's pride whenever any of the kids did something worth bragging.

Kitty and Red, although they didn't show it, were both very nervous. Fez could deduct it. He felt the same way.

They were led into a hospital room, with their arms wrapped around each other, and the rest of them had the respect to wait in silence for their turn. Today, Fez seemed uncharacteristically calm. Most of the time, all the candy that he consumed would give him boundless energy, making his fingers tap and toes twitch. As he sat in the rigid plastic chair that smelled like disinfectant, he planned out what he would do when it was him in that little white room. When he visited her, he would talk to her, tell her how, once he left, he would track down Hyde and kick his ass- or at least attempt to. Then, he would shout at him until _some_ sense got through into his alcohol and pot- addled brain. When Fez saw her, he would promise to bring Hyde back to face what he had created, even if he had to drag him kicking and screaming by the ear. Hyde won't like it, but Jackie was as much of his responsibility now as the rest of the gang's.

He stared at the mural painted on the brick wall directly in his line of vision, his mind wandering off. It was a toucan, perched on a thick brown branch. If Fez squinted his eyes, it would almost seem that the neon yellow belly, a sharp contrast from its otherwise black plumage, was actually glowing. Its magnificent beak was a collage of orange, with one teardrop of charcoal on the tip. The rest of the background was a blur of hazy greens. The artwork was so realistic, in fact, that Fez was almost afraid to look away; for fear that it would fly off. An almost uncharted thought rushed into his head.

_Thank you, for bringing some color- some life- into the dreary ICU._

Fez smiled at it, and, for a second, he could have sworn that its beady eye winked back.

A rustle startled Fez from his reverie, and for one fanatical second, he thought it was the bird, ruffling its feathers. However, he soon realized that it was the Formans, slowly sinking back onto their respective seats. They were both pale as a sheet, and visibly shaken. At the sight of them, Fez could feel the fear crawling into his chest, and spreading to consume his entire body.

_How bad could it be?_

He stood up, sending the message that he would be the next visitor, and gestured toward Donna for her to follow. Surprised, she could only jerk up as well. Side by side, they slowly inched towards the door that was the entrance to the room that held their slumbering friend, one foot in front of the other. Fez was happy that he would be able to comfort, and support his friend, even from her bedside, but he was also terrified at the thought of what state the brunette was in. What if she turned out to be something close to mutilated? Fez scolded himself immediately for thinking bad thoughts.

_She is fine…_

At last, they reached they entrance from their turtle pace, and Fez tentatively peeked his head around the corner. All he could make out was a form on the bed, covered in white sheets, with machines and tubes hooked up all over it. His heart started beating faster, his breathing shallow, and he gulped. Donna peered at him curiously, and bravely strode into the small area. Squaring his shoulders, Fez followed.

* * *

Hyde's vision was swimming in and out of focus, and scene in front of his eyes was deteriorating into nothing more than a distortion of many colors. Hyde could almost name them- _blue, red, green…or was it yellow? _There were sounds, emanating from around all the corners, but they sounded squished and mashed in his ears, and way too loud for his liking. He couldn't make out any speech, and he wondered if the background noise was music, maybe Zeppelin.

_Sure doesn't sound like it…_

All of his perceptions were just reduced to a jumble of senses, but, still, he lifted up his shot glass, as if to give a cheer, and downed it with one gulp. The clear liquid burned his esophagus on the way through, but he was too far off to feel the slight pain prickling his throat. He had succeeded- he was incapable of thinking, feeling anymore.

* * *

At first glance, Jackie looked absolutely fine, if not breathtakingly gorgeous. Her raven tresses were spayed against the alabaster pillow, and her eyes were closed, setting off her thick, dark lashes on porcelain skin. Fez couldn't help but be relieved to see that her features, the ones that any righteous model would die for, weren't harmed. It was seemingly as if she was just sleeping, waiting for someone to wake her up. However, he looked closer. And his heart skipped a beat. Barely covered by the thin sheets, her whole abdomen was bandaged thickly with medical gauze, parting only for the myriad of mechanisms that was rotating yellowish fluids throughout her body. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he could make out scarlet splotches beneath the bandaging. Fez shuddered, and, suddenly, he could see the pallid quality of her skin, and the purple bruises beneath her eyes. Her hair was now lackluster, and her cupid-bow lips too pale. All of the conversations that he had so delicately planned not a moment ago dissipated like smoke, and Fez was left there, stumbling over words in his mouth. He knelt down beside her bed, and hesitantly took one of her inert hands into his own.

He could barely see Donna hovering over the other side of the mattress, mumbling apologies and reassurances, her tears falling into Jackie's hair. All he could focus on now was the somnolent face of the girl he considered to be the epitome of perfection, lying motionless on a hospital cot.

* * *

_Fez was fuming as he slammed the door into his joint apartment. It had been a shitty day all around, but the event that had happened downstairs just took the cake. He hung up his keys, and strode over to the ratty, pea-soup colored couch, groaning when his ass hit the metal bottom of the piece of furniture when he sat down. The cushions could have been stuffed with air for all the good it did, and he wasn't in the mood for another disappointment._

_Jackie was on the other side, absentmindedly flipping through a Cosmo. She rarely talked these days; it seemed as if Hyde's actions had finally taken their toll. Jackie could tell that something was up with Fez, and would normally ignore it. It was chore enough to keep up her pretense of her normally bitchy self around her so-called friends, and she didn't want to extend the act into her own home. However, it was only a couple of days after the flooding incident, and Jackie wanted to keep on Fez's good side. Therefore, she accepted her fate with a sigh, and turned towards him._

_"What's wrong?" Jackie asked gently, gazing at Fez, who had his arms crossed across his chest, wearing a pout that rivaled her own. _

_"Oh, you do not want to know!" Fez snapped impatiently with a flip of his hand, but Jackie knew that it was just his frustrations talking, and also his way of saying: "I want to vent to you." So, she continued on in what she hoped was a soothing tone, and moved to sit next to him on the disgusting sofa. _

_"Come on, Fezzy, you can tell me." Like she predicted, it was all the encouragement that Fez needed to start his heated rant._

_"So, today at the salon, the woman named Linda came in." Fez sneered at her name, and sat up straighter to tell his story._

_"She looked like a first class whore, with her boobies and bleached-blonde hair." At this, Fez's eyes turned a little bit dreamy, and Jackie cringed internally. It would always be a sore spot for her, and she had accepted it long ago. She still wished, though, that the people who knew her the most would have the sense to at least steer away from that topic, or things related. However, she knew it was Fez's turn to be comforted then, and she kept her face blank._

_"I thought it was a privilege to wash her hair, but she kept on directing me! Oh, 'get that spot', or, 'Lighter, my scalp is sensitive,'" He mimicked the woman's tone with his own voice, and Jackie had to fight the urge to laugh. _

_"Who is dissatisfied with shampooing at the salon I ask you?! There is only one way to wash hair!" She smiled sympathetically at Fez, and patted his arm to clam him down. _

_"Well,_ I_ think your fingers are magic." Jackie said, and promptly winced, realizing the double meaning of her speech. She tensed, waiting for Fez's "Pervert Sensors" to go off, and tease her about the slip. However, when Fez didn't respond, she let out a relieved breath._

_"They ragged me all day at work about it!" Fez whimpered, embarrassed, and Jackie looked at him with compassion in her beautiful, mismatched eyes. Fez couldn't help but smile. She was the only one who could understand him about the irritation that the littlest things could provoke, except for Kelso. _

_"No, there is more! The vending machine in the lobby is out of candy! Candy, I tell you! What idiot prefers trail mix to chocolate?" At this Fez dramatically dropped his head into his arms, and Jackie nodded patiently, like a mother calming a toddler, and pulled him into a hug. _

_"Oh, you poor baby…" She realized that it was exactly what she had said to Michael that day on the couch, and had to resist automatically drawing back, and sneaking a glance at the door to see if he…_No, _she scolded herself. _That was a long time ago…

_Swiftly, Jackie lugged Fez off the couch, and he looked at her with confusion._

_"Let's go furniture shopping!" Jackie chirped, feigning enthusiasm. "It always cheers me up, and this piece of junk is simply nauseating." She waved a hand at the futon, and Fez nodded excitedly. Maybe it was time to replace it; it hurt his butt, and what sofa hurts your ass, for Christ sakes? _

_"It renders the room uninhabitable." Jackie piped up, interrupting his thoughts. She tried to sound like her old self, before life had come and knocked her on her back. Jackie took Fez's hand, and led him away. With his Goddess's fingers tracing a pattern on his palm, Fez was feeling better already._

* * *

Something changed. There were…_voices._ Not the usual monotone that predominated the noise in her dark universe, but ones that seemed somehow familiar. Comforting. Ones from a different lifetime, and it gave her hope. Rolling in the inky night, Jackie let that be her motivation to keep struggling against the crushing force of the black hole. Still, she couldn't help but have a nagging feeling that the voice she _really _wanted to hear wasn't there, and it left her muddled being feeling hollow.

* * *

The sudden memory came rushing onto Fez like a wave crashing to shore, and he let out a barely audible gasp. The pent up emotions that had first surfaced when he had heard about Jackie's condition, the ones that he had managed to reign in, flared up again with astounding force, and he staggered up, reeling backwards. A volcano of rage erupted within him, and he fisted his fingers, and clenched his toes, defying the primitive urge to throw his head back and utter a guttural roar. Looking at the body lying before him, Fez spoke the first words so far to his idol, his tone clipped and tight from anger.

"Hyde is so dead…"

* * *

**A/N: School starts on Monday, so I might not be able to update every week. I always tell what is happening on my profile, though, so check that for more information! If you see any errors or plotholes, please tell me about it. Love it? Hate it? REVIEW PWEASE!**


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